1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an artificial fishing lure, and more particularly to an artificial fishing lure which is soft, resilient, lightweight and durable.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is generally recognized that the use of artificial lures is critical for catching certain types of saltwater and freshwater fish. However, for an artificial lure to be effective its appearance, movement in the water and body composition are all critical features. The general appearance (shape, color) and movement in the water of the lure will initially attract the fish. However, once a fish bites down on a lure, the feel of the lure will generally determine if the fish will strike again. Thus, if the lure body is made of a hard composition, the fish may only strike once. In this situation, if the fish is not hooked during the first strike, the opportunity of catching it may be lost.
As previously stated, the movement of lures in the water is also a very important feature particularly while trolling for fish. It is very desirable to have a lure that is lightweight and buoyant so that it rides the surface of the water thereby attracting fish.
Additional features known in the art which are used to attract fish include artificial lures having skirts attached to the lure body which simulate the motion of fish in the water, and reflecting eyes mounted to the lure body. The skirts also provide an additional advantage in that the hook can be hidden behind the skirt.
Finally, since it is desirable to reuse the artificial lures for economic reasons, fishing lures which are slidably mounted on fishing lines are known. These lures allow one to recover the lure after the fish is hooked by simply sliding the lure away from the hook.
As a result of the aforementioned desired features, numerous fishing lures have been designed over the years. Many of these lures, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,447 have lightweight plastic bodies. However, these bodies have hard surfaces. In U.S. Pat. 2,820,314, a sponge rubber body is disclosed. This body does provide a softer feel to the fish, but it cannot withstand the abuse that a fishing lure takes by repeatedly being struck by fish. Particularly in deep sea fishing scenarios where large fish such as marlin and tuna are being fished for, the soft sponge rubber body would be destroyed very easily.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,168 a molded cellular polystyrene body is used in a fishing lure. While this construction provides a lightweight lure, it is highly susceptible to damage from fish bites. Accordingly, in this patent, the body is coated with a epoxy plastic resin which produces a hard outer surface.
Thus, in the current art of artificial fishing lures, the fishing lure body is made of either a hard material which tends to repel fish after a first bite or is made of a softer material which is not very resilient and which is easily damaged or destroyed when struck by a fish. What the current art of artificial fishing lures is lacking is an artificial lure which is buoyant, lightweight and soft, and which is resilient enough to withstand the abuse of repeated fish attacks thereby allowing it to be reused.